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Godiva® white chocolate and lemon verbena join with the standard cream and milk to make this delicate, summery panna cotta, which Claudia Fleming served at the 2012 Chefs & Champagne New York.

Ingredients

White Chocolate–Lemon Verbena Panna Cotta:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup lemon verbena leaves, roughly chopped

4 sheets gelatin

1/2 cup roughly chopped Godiva® white chocolate

Sugared Pistachios :

3 tablespoons water

5 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

1 cup finely chopped pistachios

Raspberry Compote :

4 cups raspberries, divided

1/4 cup lemon verbena leaves

3 to 4 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

Method

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream, milk, and lemon verbena leaves just to a boil. Turn off the heat and cover. Let steep for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, fill a small bowl with cold water and submerge the gelatin sheets. Let them soak while the milk and cream steep with the lemon verbena.

Place the white chocolate in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. Strain the steeped cream into a clean pot; discard the lemon verbena. Remove the gelatin from the water and squeeze gently to remove excess water. Bring the cream mixture back to a boil; immediately add the gelatin and whisk to dissolve. While it’s still hot, pour the cream over the white chocolate. Let stand for 2 minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk thoroughly or blend with an immersion blender to make sure all of the chocolate has melted. Pour into 4-ounce ramekins. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours to set the panna cottas.

To make the sugared pistachios, preheat the oven to 300°F. Combine the water and 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a small saucepot. Cook over medium heat, swirling the pot gently, just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat. Place the pistachios in a large bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them. Toss to coat the nuts in the syrup. Add the remaining sugar and toss well. Working quickly, spread out the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Stir the nuts and return to the oven for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

To make the raspberry compote, place 1 cup of the raspberries, the sugar, and the lemon verbena in a blender. Purée, then taste and adjust sugar if desired. Let the mixture stand for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Stir the remaining berries into the purée.

To serve, dip the ramekins in hot water. Use your index finger or a butter knife to pull the panna cotta away from the rim and quickly invert onto a plate. Spoon some raspberry compote on the side and sprinkle the panna cotta with pistachios.